Maharashtra
Will Eknath Shinde swear in as Maharashtra deputy CM? Suspense still prevails
Mumbai/IBNS: The suspense over who would become the next Maharashtra chief minister may have subsided but over who wouldtake oath Devendra Fadnavis' deputy prevailed even hours ahead of the oath-taking ceremony, media reports said.
Earlier, reports had claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the biggest ally in the Mahayuti, persuaded Shinde, who is now the caretaker CM, to be accommodated in the government without the top post.
Shinde was widely presumed to be one of the two deputy CMs in the state.
But as per a report by NDTV, Shinde is perhaps reconsidering his decision and likely to skip his swearing-in as the deputy CM.
The speculations gained momentum after Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat said the party members are set to convince Shinde to take oath.
"We are sure Shinde-saab will listen to our requests and take oath as the deputy CM. We are going to convince him," said Shirsat.
The road to the swearing-in ceremony has remained rough as Shinde had sent feelers about his wish to remain the CM even when he relied on PM Modi for the final decision.
Speaking to reporters, Shinde said on Sunday as quoted by The Indian Express, "I was the people’s chief minister. …Actually, I used to say that I was not just the chief minister but the common man. As a common man, I understood problems and pain suffered by the people and tried to address them. Since I worked as a common man, obviously people feel that I should become the chief minister."
"However, there should be no confusion… I held a press conference last week and clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will take the decision regarding the chief minister’s post. My party Shiv Sena and myself will support their decision… There should be no ifs and buts in anyone’s mind," the Sena leader added, speaking at his native village of Dare in Satara district.
In a flip, Shinde, who has served the top post for two years since 2022, will be one of the two deputies if everything goes well.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)'s Ajit Pawar will be the other deputy chief minister alongside the Shiv Sena leader.
Fadnavis, who remained the chief minister from 2014-2019, served as Shinde's deputy in the Mahayuti government from 2022 to 2024.
The suspense over the CM's post started after the Mahayuti decimated the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the November 20 assembly elections.
Out of 230, the BJP dominated with a tremendous strike rate, winning 132, the highest ever by the saffron party in the state.
The swearing-in ceremony will be held at 5:30 pm.
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